Public Health

Latest California Healthline Stories

Jury’s In: Opioids Are Not Better Than Other Medicines For Chronic Pain

A new study followed patients with severe chronic pain for a year and found that opioids relieved pain and increased function no better than common drugs like acetaminophen and lidocaine. But the opioids carry the risk of more serious side effects, including addiction and death.

As Surgery Centers Boom, Patients Are Paying With Their Lives

An investigation by Kaiser Health News and the USA TODAY Network discovers that more than 260 patients have died since 2013 after in-and-out procedures at surgery centers across the country. More than a dozen — some as young as 2 — have perished after routine operations, such as colonoscopies and tonsillectomies.